Direction: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
Country: UK / USA
Embroiled in a sheer monotony that results from the director and the screenwriter’s lack of vision to adapt the famous D.H. Lawrence novel of the same name, Lady Chatterley’s Lover feels too darn old-fashioned for a contemporary audience. It’s a pointless and utterly forgettable misfire from French filmmaker Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, whose directorial feature debut, The Mustang (2019), has drawn some positive reactions.
The three main performances from Emma Corrin, Jack O’Connell and Matthew Duckett are so mannered that it's hard to feel anything but discouragement and ennui. The non-existent chemistry between the lovers reinforce the idea that this film is on automatic pilot. A romance that never catches fire within a dramatic plot that fails to innovate and engage. If you’re looking for a more exciting and cinematically engaging version of the novel, try Pascale Ferran’s, released in 2006.
